The number of people aged 75+ in Ireland is projected to reach almost one million by 2041, three times the number living now, a new report by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) shows.

Even more dramatic is the change in the 85+ population, which will rise almost fivefold, from 74,000 in 2006 to 356,000 in 2041.

With a million people aged 60 and above now living on the island of Ireland (rising to 29 per cent of the total population in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by 2041) the significance of longevity cannot be underestimated, the paper, Illustrating Ageing in Ireland North & South, concludes.

In both parts of the island, there is an inexorable increase in the older population year on year. It is not a case of a post-War baby boom passing through the age range to be followed by a dip.

The older population will continue to rise for more than half a century. Projections for Northern Ireland suggest a levelling off in expansion in the 2070s but, after that, growth in numbers aged 65+ is projected to resume.